I was thinking about my last post and was wondering what kind of response Dodge would offer in fighting an SVT Lightning based on the new (now current, I suppose) generation F-150. I heard on a GM forum site that the Viper V10 that the Ram SRT-10 uses can't be easily supercharged and already produces most of the power that can be had out of it which puts it at a supposed disadvantage against Ford, which can tune a supercharged 5.4 to what seems to be whatever Ford wants. But then again, this information coming from a website that is supportive of a company that doesn't even have a truck of the Lightning's or Ram SRT-10's caliber (Silverado SS: Super Slow; or SSR: Super Slow [and] Retarded) may not mean much. It is still a valid question though; will Dodge make a dedicated effort to keep Ford at bay or will they just keel over and merely try to beat Ford once every ten years. Or, will GM have Chevrolet or GMC actually make a performance truck worth talking about and have a three-way competition.

 

motortrends sept issue has a little blip on the new 6.2 hemi beater (hurricane)that ford is building check it out if you see it on the news stands its in the news section

 

Yes, I saw the article. Not terribly informative, but interesting nonetheless. It certainly confirms Ford's intention to build the engine (which was never really in dispute) but it throws some odd speculation into just what kind of design engine it'll be. As soon as I first heard about the Hurricane project several weeks ago I automatically assumed that it would be a new member to Ford's modular engine family based on its reported displacement of 6.2L. I made this assumption on the basis that the 5.4L V8 has a displacement 0.8L larger than the original modular V8, the 4.6L SOHC V8. 6.2L happens to be 0.8L larger than 5.4L so you can see my logic. But, if the new engine is to be a modular type based on the original 4.6, the question is where does the 6.2L displacement come from? We all know that the 5.4L V8's displacement comes from stroking out the 4.6L V8 and results in excellent torque characteristics, but, will Ford make 6.2L by simply increasing the stroke even more? Probably not. What I think Ford might do instead is take a 5.4L V8, leave its stroke alone, and increase its bore diameter to get a 0.8L displacement increase to 6.2L. However, there is the shot that this new engine will utilize a totally different architecture and the choice of going with a 6.2L displacement (if Ford even holds to that number) would be a complete coincidence. Also, if it follows the trend of Ford's new V8 architecture, it'll be SOHC with three valves per cylinder.

One very interesting note in that article though was that Ford hasn't even decided on whether to go with an OHC or an OHV design. I found this very confusing because I thought by now that Ford was dedicated to using SOHC and DOHC engines for the forseeable future because the only OHV gas engines that Ford still makes and uses are the old Essex V6s (3.8, 3.9, 4.2). The article went on to explain that an OHV design is easier to adapt to use "displacement on demand" cylinder shut-off technologies for improved fuel economy but to mention it implies that Ford has intentions to implement such technologies. I didn't even know they were interested in the first place. In any case, whatever direction this engine takes, the article is good discussion material.

 

one reason why i dont believe it will be off the same architecture is because in the article it said that ford is planning on using it in the crown vic, and according to someone else on this site (not sure if its true or not) the 5.4 wont fit in a crown vic. its possible that to make room in the engine bay of smaller cars it could be a wedge motor (though i doubt it) since the new duratec 35 is gonna be a wedge (and from what i hear a pretty killer one at that making 275 hp out of a 3.5)

 

That is true about the modular 5.4L being unable to fit in a Crown Victoria. If I remember correctly, it has something to do with the windshield wiper motor assembly or something. But, the Crown Victoria and its corporate siblings, the Grand Marquis/Marauder and the Town Car, are a dying breed as Ford has finally announced (unofficially, of course) a replacement for them in the form of a new RWD sedan to be based on a derivative of the Lincoln LS DEW98 platform or even the platform the '05 Mustang uses. The plans for Lincoln and Mercury are unknown at this time but the working name for the new Ford sedan, at least as Motor Trend sees it, is the Fairlane. This car is currently slated as a 2006 model while the Crown Vic will carry on exclusively in fleet sales, which it pretty much does already, through the end of the decade at the least.

 

Interesting. I was just browsing around the Internet and went to Ford's main website where they had info freshly posted on the 2005 Lincoln Navigator. Apparently, the SUV is going to get the same 3 valve 5.4 SOHC V8 as the Expedition, F-150, and others. I thought this was cool but the engine will put out the same performance figures as the other vehicles that use it. Being Lincoln, I was expecting the engine's numbers to be a little higher since that's usually part of what they do to distinguish themselves from their conventional Ford counterparts. But, I suppose the decision was done in practicality in that using the new 3 valve engine means lower production costs in that it's a design common to other Ford vehicles and lower fuel costs both in terms of better efficiency and the need to use only 87-octane regular versus the 91-octane premium requirement of its predecessor. But redeeming the lack of a horsepower increase over other vehicles using the 3 valve 5.4 is the fact that the '05 Navigator gets a new 6-speed automatic made by ZF! Snazzy.

 

that is quite odd that they dont up the power at least 5 hp or something, in addition to that today at the local hotel where ford stays when they come thur flagstaff i saw 2 f150s with manufacturers plates with bras on them today so i dont know whats going on with that, i didnt notice any differences but there has to be a reason to bra em up ya know

 

Well, as you probably know by now, Ford distinguishes the various models of the new F-150 (STX, XLT, etc.) with modest styling differences such as through using different grills or chrome accents in places where others don't, so to see new F-150s with coverings still on them could indicate another new model to be added to the lineup, possibly the upcoming V6 model.

With the new Navigator not getting any additional horsepower over its corporate siblings, I would think the logic would be that it would still have a performance advantage with its new transmission. Six gears allows for closer gear ratios which results in faster acceleration and better fuel economy since the engine is allowed to run at more constant speeds. These advantages are part of the reason why Ford is also going with 6-speed transmissions in many of their upcoming cars such as the Five Hundred. I'm just wondering why the Expedition isn't getting the same treatment. You'd think for CAFE that Ford would be more inclined to use a transmission like this in the Expedition too since it sells more. Maybe the tranny's still too expensive to use in such quantity yet. Hopefully it, and even the F-150, get that transmission, or something similar, not long down the road. But, what may be really good news for those who like RWD drive cars, like me, is that if Ford is willing to use a 6-speed auto in a big, RWD SUV, why not also use it in a big sedan, or even a sport coupe. Maybe a 6-speed auto is even in the upcoming Mustang's future, obviously not at first since a 5-speed auto has already been selected but possibly within a few years if and when the next Camaro/Firebird come out for another 35 years of second place!

 

the only thing is, is that the badgeing said XLT 5.4 and there was also an FX4 cause i though it was the king ranch when i first saw it but the badgeing said otherwise. and xlt and FX4 are already trim levels so well wait and see.

 

I wonder what the availability of that new Hurricane engine will be like in the F-150. I suspect that the engine could very well have over 400HP since that's what Dodge (Hurricane's primary target at this point) will break with its upcoming 6.1L Hemi. Infact, if Dodge uses this number in its trucks, 420HP or more will be the number to beat as this is the current level of output for the also upcoming Dodge Charger SRT-8. I certainly expect that the engine will be available in the FX4 but I wonder if it would make its way down to the XLT. I would think Ford would want to keep it fairly limited for the purposes of exclusivity for owners and CAFE requirements. In addition to this, have any of you given any thought as to what sort of design the Hurricane engine could be? Is it possible that it is a modular engine, or is its displacement too big? Thoughts, comments, etc. please.

(I am interested in the information but I'm also close to 1000 views and I didn't want to come up short! )